January 6, 2009
The Best Wings In Augusta
A wonderful place to hang out. The decor revolves around aviation so the walls have hanging pictures of famous pilots and the ceiling has hanging airplane parts. The food is ordered from a counter and is usually served quickly, about 15 minutes average, which is very good for wings made fresh there. There is a wide selection of sauces to tantalize every taste sensation and almost every combination of tastes. The fries they serve are a MUST have, I love them dipped in their cheddar cheese sauce, which costs a little more, but endulge, its worth it.
The staff is usually friendly and they are always very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to the menu. The kitchen is open so its nice to watch them prepare the foods and make sure they are sanitary, which they are.
They serve three different locations in the Central Savannah River Area, one in North Augusta, one in Augusta, and one in Evans and they are all consistant with one another, providing service well above normal for a fast food style restaurant.
They have several tasty beer selections on draught and very good sweet tea, made Carolina style (B.Y.O.I. = bring your own insulin).
Dishes I tried:
Seasoned Fies
I am quite fond of fries. The fries from Wingstop are paramount for the Augusta area. They are so perfectly seasoned with a sweet/salty mix that I am actually salavating as I am writing this. Get these fries if you ever visit near Augusta.
Lemon Pepper Wings
A dish that is quite delish. Its even better cold. Usually, when I go to Wingstop, I get enough wings for two meals, one type of wings for now and the other for later, the lemon pepper wings are always saved for later.
Mellow Mushroom
1167 Broad St
Augusta, GA
(706) 828-5578
Cuisine:
Pizza, Salads, Sandwiches
January 28, 2009
Best Pizza in the South
I’m not much for the franchised pizza restaurants that I unlovingly refer to as “Pizza Gut”, “Pappy Jones”, and my personal unfavorite “Dammit-NOes!”. We ate at the Mellow Mushroom tonight and fell in love with this quaint little pizzeria that deals with the freshest ingredients. The crust itself was a treat, which I usually don’t enjoy. The crust, which isn’t listed on the menu itself, MUST be one of nature’s wonders of the world. It is not a white-breaded crust, but more of a wheat crust that tastes a little like fresh sourdough. It is light and flaky, which has neither greasy after taste, nor is it overly chewy. The sauce is light and barely noticeable.
The decor is something that Jerry Garcia would have loved and it is both colorful and relaxing at the same time. Several statues line the archways a sorcerer, a frog, a bard and so on actually tell the menu as well as create fascinating conversation peices. The Mellow Mushroom boasts an obvious pride in their cleanliness. There was a pub section that housed an impressive list of beer and other spirits.
Our waitress was very friendly and quiet, but mostly she was good at perceiving when her customers needed something. She kept up with our drinks, made sure that we got all we wanted, and what amazed me the most was her bringing us a take-home box. This is quite nice for those that hate asking for it, but don’t like to waste either. These left-overs will be thoroughly enjoyed at lunch tomorrow.
When the check comes your way, be expectant that it is a little higher than those run-of-the-mill pizza factories that advertise on national TV, you know the ones… But the cost is well worth the value.
I don’t typically like to critique chain restaurants, but the Mellow Mushroom deserves the above kudos and accolades. There are several Mellow Mushroom restaurants, mostly they are in the southern states, with some in the midwest and in Arizona. If you would like more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com, they have a well put together website.
Dishes I tried:
Sabi Japanese Restaurant
332 E Martintown Rd
North Augusta, SC
(803) 279-6888
Cuisine:
Japanese, Sushi
January 20, 2009
Simple, Too Simple, Bland
The interesting thing about Japanese food is probably its inconsistancy between the restaurants in the CSRA. The restaurants around the area are either wonderful or they are bland and tasteless. I had heard from several others that Sabi was overpriced and I finally took it upon myself and try to rate these rumors to reality. Now that I have eaten there, I can sincerely give them a mediocre review.
The waitress was a very accomidating, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. She kept up on our drinks and asked us what kind of additional sauces we liked.
The restaurant, while being a little outdated in the decor department, was quite clean, even in the bathroom.
The only gripe I had was actually with the food, which is a shame since everything else Sabi has going for it runs quite well. Everything that we ordered was completely bland. The onions conquered the pallete, which isn’t a good thing.
I must however set straight the strong rumor going around that it is overpriced. I will disagree with that wholeheartedly, the food was ample for the price, just underflavored.
I have no objections to returning to Sabi, but I will definitely order something else next time in hopes of finding something to bring their 3 stars to 4.
Dishes I tried:
Somewhere In Augusta Bar and Grill
2701 Washington Rd
Augusta, GA
(706) 739-0002
Cuisine:
Full Bar, Steak, Wings
January 5, 2009
Your average sports bar: food for drunks
This newly opened eating establishment was just too tempting not to stop. Its interesting verande which overlooks Washington Rd is quite beautiful during the day as well as at night. The first thing you notice on entering will most likely be the full service bar of to the right, which appears to be stocked nicely with a large selection of liquors. Each of the boothes are equipped with their own flat screen television, which would be novel for most, but a distraction from the company for me. I ignored the television as best as I could at both the table and in this review and simply decided to just tell you about its existance and let the reader decide if it’s a plus or not. What I will review on is the clean appearance of the dining room. The place is new and filled with all kinds of curio that sports fans would find interesting. I was actually most impressed with the music that was played overhead, which was a wide variety of classic rock. Best of all, the aucustics of the restaurant allowed the music to be loud, but still be able to hear your dinner companion quite easily. The menu was very impressive and it was not difficult to skim over and make a good decision. The menu consisted of sandwiches and burgers to steaks and had a wide variety of appetizers. The taste of the food made me wish that I wasn’t driving so that I could have had a few drinks, it would have tasted better then, I just KNOW it. The waitress was warm at first, but she consistantly cooled down and became almost robotic by the time the check came. She made no attempt to offer any desserts. The sweet tea that I ordered wasn’t good, so I never needed refills. The water in Augusta is much better than their tea.
BTW: Somewhere in Augusta is located only a 1/2 mile from the North Gate of the PGA Masters, which does make a prime venue for golf fans.
Dishes I tried:
Club Sandwich
Would be much better if I were a little intoxicated. The fries were VERY salty and the sandwich was predictable, but there was no speculation against the freshness or argument with the quantity.
Chicken Wing Wrap
The wrap was supposed to be spicy, but it was pretty mild. I could imagine that if I were drunk and wanted something spicy, paying $8 for this would have made me upset. The chicken was tough and there was some ligament in one of my bites, however the ingredients were fresh. Fries were salty, but I’d like that if I were drunk.
T D China Bistro
340 Edgefield Rd
North Augusta, SC
(803) 279-4797
Cuisine:
Chinese, Buffet
January 3, 2009
Slow Descent Downward
Unfortunately, a lot of times, owners of restaurants allow their successful and thriving business to fail slowly. More unfortunately, the owners of T D China Bistro are allowing theirs to go as well. The decor of the restaurant is by far, the most interesting that I’ve ever seen since Planet Hollywood or House of Blues. Posters of famous celebrities both living and dead line the walls to add fabulous conversation for its guests. Even an original Beatles poster where they are standing in a field of daisies with John far off in the background as if to symbolize their soon to come break-up. This restaurant that I would have been happy to give 5 stars a year ago, I’m sorry to only give a couple to today. The food is not nearly as fresh as you can find plentifully at other Chinese food venues of the same ilk. They are no longer liberal with their delicious sauces, which are still tasty, but the lack of sauce makes the food a little dry.
Their staff no longer wants to be there and it shows out loud in huge capital letters. If you walk in with a to go order, they make a stink about how you need to call in first next time so it will be ready. I go there so I can wait for my food and adore the tv photos, movie posters, and life-size Marilyn Monroe cutout. I do have to say that they are on top of their drinks, my glass never went below half which was good because the food was dry.
The price of the food is a little higher than it deserves, but the quantity makes up for that slightly when it comes to take-out. The buffet is a question mark, ask to see it before you belly up to the bar.
My suggestion to T D China Bistro is this: Save yourself! Its not too late to change and go back to 5-star again!
Dishes I tried:
General Tso's Chicken
Seasoned nicely, but dry and tough. The chicken is obviously flash fried, frozen, and then flash fried again. Stop that! It only takes 7 minutes to cook fresh chicken in those little chunks. I promise you, I can wait 7 minutes for freshness! Also, a little more sauce please, I like some to go with my rice. Included in the dish are some scallions and red peppers which stood to prove that it does work well with vegetables.
Shrimp Lo Mein
It was a little on the greasy side and it could have used more vegetables than what was provided with the dish. All-in-all however, it was quite tasty. The shrimp tasted fresh and properly cooked.
Gilligan's Steamer & Raw Bar
Ladson Rd
Ladson, SC
(843) 821-2244
Cuisine:
Seafood
January 3, 2009
Don't Con Me
I’m not a huge fan of going out to eat seafood most of the time and Gilligan’s reminded me of why that is. While very impressed with the decor of this novel little seafood restaraunt, which is very clean by the way, I found myself starring at a menu that was filled to the “brim” with fried food. This was VERY discouraging since even the name of the restaurant implies that it is a Steamer and Raw bar. Fried seafood, is the lazy man’s approach to cooking this delicious fare. The best example of this is shrimp, which is supposed to have a very light and delightful fish taste which depends on light seasoning to accent its wonder. By frying shrimp, this simple flavor is so overwhelmed by breaded and oil tastes that it doesn’t even taste like fish anymore. Don’t get me wrong though, I have had the pleasure of a couple non-fried foods at Gilligan’s and it is simply devine, fresh and delicious. Bottom line: IF YOU GO HERE, KEEP TO THE LIGHTER FARE. Their fried foods are horrible.
The staff could have been friendlier. Our waitress was unknowledgable about our menu and the food contained in which. They let my drink go empty for a good 7 or 8 minutes and they didn’t bother to find out if we wanted any desserts, not that we did after that much fried food anyhow, but it would’ve been nice if they had asked.
I don’t give much praise to Gilligan’s, but I still don’t condemn it yet either. When you go there though, take heed that if you are looking for actual steamed or raw seafood, you may be unpleasantly surprised at the lack of selection.
Dishes I tried:
Shrimp Salad
This was on their lighter fare menu. I recommend it if you are going to Gilligan’s. It is quite a delicious combination of baby shrimp, celery, mayo, and some of the house spices, I am sure. I actually would go back to Gilligan’s and if I did, it would be because of this salad.
Coffee Mug
37938 Meridian Ave
Dade City, FL
(352) 567-2224
Cuisine:
Cafe, Bakery Cafe, Coffee
January 1, 2009
Sweet Shop
This florist shop-turned-coffeehouse is a sweet little oasis in the middle of downtown Dade City.
As you walk in, the seductive scent of fresh roast coffee entices your nose and the browns, creams, and mauves of the decor soothes the eye.
The sugar-free hazel nut coffee was lovely, and the chicken salad sandwhich perfect.
If you wander through down-town Dade City, give your senses a treat, as well as your feet (a breather from all the antique miles) and drop into the Coffee Mug.
Dishes I tried:
Sugar Free Hazel Nut Iced Coffee
Great taste for sugar-free!
Wasabi Express
2838 Washington Rd
Augusta, GA
(706) 667-0034
Cuisine:
Japanese, Fast Food
January 1, 2009
Rereview of Wasabi Express
After a recent visit, I had to write a new review for this nice restaurant. To my chagrin, my last couple visits to Wasabi was not a pleasant one. Oh, the food is still out of this world, if you are willing to put up with the staff’s ineptness that is almost guaranteed. I strongly suggest that if you decide to pay with a credit card, make sure that you leave with said card. I am taking nothing away from the food, you should try it if you have a chance, but go with this in mind: there are about half a dozen Japanese restaurants within this one that are very good, try one of them instead. Prices at this restaurant are not too far under the nearby competition.
Dishes I tried:
Steak and Shrimp Platter
This is my favorite. The steak comes out a medium well, so there is no pink, but for people like me that like the more tasteful pink beef, don’t worry, the taste is still very abundant! Their shrimp is a good 21-30 size (about 21-30 shrimp per pound) and they sear it just lightly enough to give it a finished taste. They serve it on fried rice which is fresh and with vegetables of your choice. Extensive choice by the way, but I like the zucchini and carrots best.
Gary's Hamburgers
410 Georgia Ave
North Augusta, SC
(803) 278-1314
Cuisine:
Burgers, Diner, Barbecue
January 1, 2009
A Tasty Burger
I love a good burger and Gary’s can provide very fresh food. Gary’s is a cross between fast food and good old fashioned diner. The burgers that they serve offer no question that it is made of pure beef, NO SOY HERE my friends. They know how to press the burger and they even toast the bun for their customers – I love that! The menu is large, but since everything is short order they are able to maintain. This is a double-edged sword however, since Gary’s is apt to becoming congested during peak lunch and dinner hours and Gary’s is a slow ride when busy. Also, Gary’s is an older building and although things seem to be kept clean, most things inside are old and scratched so the surfaces at a glance are very dirty. Still, I plan to keep going there whenever I want a tasty burger.
Salsa's Mex-Mex Grill
109 Tamil Dr
Aiken, SC
(803) 643-2722
Cuisine:
Mexican, Tex-mex
December 31, 2008
Really Good Mexican Food
I was quite impressed when I journeyed upon Salsa’s Mex-Mex Grill. It is near the Target shopping center on Whiskey Rd, inside a small strip mall of its own. The first thing that I noticed here was the atmosphere seemed bright enough to see the place was clean, but dark enough to be cozy. The waiter brought out the chips and dip and also some complimentary cheese and beef and bean mix. The prices were only a little elevated compared to other Mexican restaurants in the area, but when I received the food, I found out why. The freshness that came from the food made me imagine that not only were there chefs in the kitchen, but maybe a few gardeners, maybe a rancher…. Kudos to the wonderful food that Salsa’s provides. They are very proud of their food and rightfully so! I must however give them a 4 instead of a 5 only because of their wait staff does need some direction. Drinks went empty for a while, which is not a good thing in a Mexican restaurant particullarly. I tried hard to remember enough Spanish to say “peppers are hot, I need something to drink”. Also, the waiter didn’t ask if I would like some dessert and as fresh as everything was in the meal, a sopapilla sounded REAL good. Oh, well, maybe next time…
Dishes I tried:
Taco Salad
The way to establish a Mexican restaurant as your regular cantina is to try something that proves areas of freshness and variety. The taco salad is perfect for such a task, it has meats, lots of veggies, the dairies (cheeses and sour cream) and most importantly to a lot of folks, a good guacamole. We’ve all had bad guac at some point or other and it can be just disgusting when its bad. I have to tell you that this was the best and freshest guacamole I’ve ever tasted. I HIGHLY recommend this, especially to the lighter eater.
Burrito and Rice
The burrito of champions, this is not from the microwave. The burrito is another dish that gauges the good Mexican restaurants from the bad. They do very well with the burrito and ther somehow manage to make the dish light enough to not feel sluggish afterward and still hardy enough to not be hungry after 5 minutes. They could improve on the rice, this is not a slam against the freshness, it was made same day, but it could use some more veggies. Still, great job!


pleasurepalate
01/06/2009I’d definitely go for the lemon pepper wings. :)